


ponder nothing earthly minded

by maggiemerc



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Epic Space Opera, F/F, rare pair friendships, super sisters are super goofs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-07 09:31:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11056179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maggiemerc/pseuds/maggiemerc
Summary: Kara and Maggie, both deeply lonely and single after the events of the season 2 finale, find themselves working together when Intergang comes to National City. Meanwhile Alex has a huge secret that only Lena Luthor is in on.Oh, and Lena has a huge crush on her friend who is still mourning the loss of her boyfriend, Maggie's got commitment issues, Alex is acting a little like a love dumb puppy, and Kara is deeply oblivious to the romantic trials happening around her.Also aliens are plotting to invade Earth and take over the universe.





	1. Chapter 1

She didn’t say yes. That was bad.

But she didn’t say no. That was good.

Only Maggie definitely didn’t say yes. Instead, after Alex proposed to her on the DEO’s rubble covered balcony, Maggie pressed her lips to Alex’s forehead and then to her lips. The kiss tasted like salt, but was so important that Alex was terrified to break it. Then Maggie hugged her like Alex was gonna turn to dust the moment she let go.

But she didn’t say yes, and that fact chased them both. It was like a persistent ex, maybe, or—okay Alex had zero basis for comparing bad unspoken things in long term relationships, but she currently had a bad unspoken thing in her long term relationship, and she had no one to talk to it about with.

She couldn’t bring it up to Maggie, because then they’d have to talk about how Alex proposed and Maggie didn’t say yes, and Alex was kind of okay with just being with her girlfriend and pretending she hadn’t proposed in a very romantic, if rushed, fashion.

And she couldn’t talk about it with Kara, because her sister just lost her boyfriend and Alex’s relationship issues would be salt in the wound.

J’onn?

No.

Maybe…Winn?

Definitely not.

God. Alex was going to have to go the rest of her life without acknowledging she’d proposed to her girlfriend and Maggie had just kissed her on the forehead instead of saying yes.

This was why Danvers sisters shouldn’t date!

“Hey,” Maggie said, waltzing into the DEO like she was totally allowed and not the woman who had kind of sort of stomped on Alex’s heart but pretended she hadn’t. “We’re going to the bar right?”

Oh. Right. Winn’s idea. A big bonding hang out at the bar to celebrate a few days alien invasion free. He’d even convinced Kara to stop moping and join in.

At the sight of Maggie Winn shouted, “Drink time” and threw his tablet onto his desk. It skittered across the laminate surface and nearly fell, saved only by Kara blurring in and stopping it.

“Bar,” she asked. She sounded perkier than she had lately. It would have been a good sign. Maybe it even looked like one to everyone else in the room. But Alex knew her sister well enough to know she always put on a smile.

***

_Years Ago, Midvale_

Kara didn’t need to breathe as much as she used to, but it was still a habit she enjoyed, like binge eating pie, or living. Only when she opened her mouth and tried to draw in a air there was just salt water, flooding her lungs and forcing all the oxygen out.

She threw out an arm to steady herself. Her hand landed on her surfboard, but it just cracked in half as she panicked and squeezed too tightly.

Saltwater filled her nose too. She imagined it was supposed to burn. But there was no sensation beyond that first one.

She couldn’t breathe.

And she couldn’t right herself. She was being tossed by the waves, flung about as casually as some—some _human_. She was the cousin of Superman and she was going to drown in the Pacific Ocean. A cautionary tale for other relations of other heroes.

Sure, Kara Zor-El would live. But she’d wiped out on the wave as simple human Kara Danvers, and if she stayed under much longer simple human Kara Danvers would have to be declared dead.

This was the problem with swimming—surfing. It felt different than being on land. She couldn’t find the surface. Couldn’t break through into the open air.

There was only blue forever. And silence.

Precious silence. Wrapped around her. No hum of a space ship or screams of a world or beat of a heart.

Was this what space was like? Outside of the pod?

A fleck of her surfboard floated in front of her face. Fractured. White. Like she imagined snow to be.

Alex said there was a wonderful silence when it snowed. “I’ll take you snowboarding,” she said. “We can stay up drinking hot cocoa and watching the snow fall.”

Kara reached out, finger sluicing through the water and—

Then a body was pressing into her, arm snaked around her shoulder, feet churning the water quickly. She was dragged away from the blue, from the silence that had found her for just a moment. Dragged back into the sun.

Dropped onto the beach. Hands pressed against her stomach, and it must have been like trying to do CPR on a car.

Lips, cold and salty pressed to hers. Air filled her mouth.

“Breathe,” she heard uttered.

Everything was so much louder. Screams and giggles and the ocean’s roar.

She coughed. Spit and salt water splashing on her sister’s face. Alex closed her eyes and panted. Kara kept coughing, more water than she thought possible being wrung out with every wheeze.

Alex had saved her.

Distantly Kara heard people laughing and she knew they had an audience. Alex’s surfer friends crowding around them and making fun of the little sister who went after the big waves and always wiped out.

Alex brushed some of the saltwater and Kara’s spit off her face then opened her eyes. “You okay,” she asked. Her chest rose and fell with effort. Alex was as worn out as Kara should be.

Kara nodded. “My mouth tastes like beach.”

Alex grinned.

She didn’t do it often. Jeremiah hadn’t come home for a business trip two months earlier. Eliza had called them into the living room, eyes rimmed in red, and told them they were alone.

It had hurt, but it hadn’t hurt like that first loss. It wasn’t the acute pain of losing her world. Just a dull ache. A reminder that loss was inescapable.

But Alex…Alex stopped smiling and she stopping hanging out with her friends, and about the only thing she seemed to do, besides go to school and get in fights with Eliza, was surf.

So Kara went surfing with her, figuring her powers would make it easy to fake the skill her sister had.

Alex had let her, but she hadn’t smiled. Or even laughed.

Apparently it took Kara nearly drowning to ring some humor out of her.

Kara smiled back.

It was like some sort of understanding happened. Something bigger than what they were or had been. And as soon as the spell was cast it was shattered by one of the older surfers looming over them. “See. This is why we didn’t want you bringing her.”

The smile immediately dropped off Alex’s face, and she shot up, going chest to chest with the much taller teen. “My sister goes where she wants to go,” Alex growled.

Kara was feeling warm from the way Alex rose to her defense, and the way she called her sister. Kara also had the urge to curl up in a ball and shut the world out until everyone disappeared.

But she called Alex’s name quietly. Alex continued to glare at the surfer. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest and one eyebrow raised in what could only be called a cocky manner.

Alex’s shoulders were squared and one foot positioned carefully behind the other.

It was only then Kara noticed her sister’s balled up fist, and the way the muscles in her back were moving, as she prepared to throw a punch.

Moving fast Kara leapt up and pulled Alex back by the shoulder. “It’s okay,” she said into her sister’s ear.

But Alex was watching the surfer. Jaw clenched so tightly her teeth were grinding.

Alex really wanted to punch someone.

Something softened on the surfer’s face. “Look Danvers. You’re a great surfer, and everyone loves you coming out with us. But your sister’s—“ He stepped closer and lowered his voice further. Soft enough that only the two of them, and a girl with super hearing, could hear. “She’s bad, and no one wants to see some kid drown because she was tackling waves she can’t handle.”

Alex clearly wanted to fight the guy’s supposition about Kara with her fists, but Kara squeezed a little tighter and Alex shuddered.

Not taking her eyes off the surfer, Alex said, “Come on Kara.” Then she spun on her heel, snatching up her board and stalking towards the car. Kara tried to trail after her, but had to stop and yank off the safety cord still wrapped around her ankle and collect the piece of her board that had floated onto the beach. She looked out to the water for the other half but the surfer waved her off. “We got it, kid. Don’t worry about it.” His eyes tracked Alex before returning to Kara. “Glad you’re okay.”

Kara nodded, clutching her broken board to her chest.

Alex had already lashed her own board to the roof of her Jeep and was turning over the engine by the time Kara trudged through the sand to her. She didn’t say anything, at first. Just pulled away from the side of the dirt lane where they’d parked and made her way back toward pavement.

The Jeep jostled with every divot in the road.

Kara wanted to apologize. Or thank Alex. Say _something_. But there was not a word in English—or even Kryptonian—to sum up her feelings.

They hit the end of the dirt road and Alex turned on her blinker and watched oncoming traffic for an opening.

The blinker made a tick tick tick that was easy for Kara to get lost in.

She was doing that a lot lately. Getting lost in noises or sights like she had when she’d first come to Earth.

“Why are you so shitty at surfing?”

Alex’s question, cutting through the noise, was kind of a dumb one. She knew as well as Kara did why Kara couldn’t surf. It was too close to flying, and it messed with her equilibrium. She could fake it well enough, but on the big waves she hovered instead of staying planted on the board and then got knocked off.

Since they both knew that Kara kept her mouth shut.

Alex sighed and pulled into traffic. “Whatever,” she said, and it was quiet enough that if Kara didn’t have super hearing she’d have thought her sister was talking to herself. “We can just do it alone.”

Kara rolled her window down, the sea air filling the car. The ocean never smelled like that on Krypton.

***

_The Now, National City, a bar full of aliens_

With any other couple the level of cuteness Alex and Maggie were churning out would have been disgusting. Kara would have wrinkled her nose in distaste and probably texted her sister to tell her how blech the people were being.

But Kara had never, _ever_ seen her sister engaged in willing PDA, so Maggie curling around Alex and trying to give the better pool player _super_ intimate pool lessons was a cute thing, not a blech thing.

It actually made Kara happy, despite how miserable her own romantic life was. Alex was happy. Completely happy. For the first time, like, ever.

“God they’re disgusting,” Winn said. His own girlfriend was wrapped around him like Saran Wrap. Her tongue definitely in Winn’s ear.

“Gross,” Kara said.

He shrugged and kissed his girlfriend with more tongue than Kara ever needed to see. Which forced her to look back at her sister, because at least there was no tongue action there—

Never mind.

Kara grabbed her drink and settled into a booth opposite James. He had his phone set on the table in front of him and was staring at it like it was a motherbox.

“You okay,” Kara asked.

He glanced up at her and the back down. “I texted Lucy,” he said.

Kara and James…well Kara had broken up with James, after pining for him for a year. And then she’d dated Mon-El, effectively ending the possibility of her and James ever getting back together. She and James were now firmly friends. So really there was nothing she could do but be happy for James. Yet there was still a sinking feeling in her stomach and she chugged her Rydorian ale faster than she should have.

“Oh,” she asked, voice pitched high.

He shrugged, never taking his eyes off the phone. “Winn said she was going to be in town for some DEO thing so I just…”

“But I thought she broke up with you.”

“Sure, because I liked someone else.”

The “I don’t now” was implied. He glanced up again, brow wrinkling adorably. “It’s weird telling you this isn’t it?”

“No,” she said maybe a little too emphatically. “No, no of course not. You and Lucy—you guys were amazing. Until I broke you up because I don’t know what I want.”

His brow softened. “Kara.”

God. She was making it much worse than it needed to be. She sucked in a deep breath and reached across the table, squeezing his hand. “I think it’s good James. I’m happy.”

“Happy for me because you’re a noble self-sacrificing hero, or happy for me because you’re genuinely rooting for me and Lucy?”

It was more “happy for James because Kara’s own romantic life was a dumpster fire and she needed to know she hadn’t ruined others’ by proxy,” but she settled on “I’m rooting for you guys. And it should be easier now that you won't have a superhero confusing things.”

“Well…” Rao, James could be charming. “The Guardian. Unless you guys told her.”

“Ah no. We did not…” She frowned. “I think.”

James’s phone lit up and his face notably brightened. “She texted back,” he said.

Kara was feeling too sorry for herself, and darkly murderous in that lonely “I’ll never be happy with a lover of my own on the planet Earth kind of way.” She had to swallow and force a big smile.

James hopped up to give Lucy a call and Kara finished of her ale and zipped her coat all the way up to her neck. She shoved her hands into her coat pockets and made for the door. Alex stopped, briefly to call after her, but she smiled again and shook her head. “Just gonna go on a quick patrol,” she said. “It’s fine.”

Alex had that look on her face that told Kara she was seeing right through her, but then Maggie said something and Alex was distracted. Which Kara used to her advantage, moving out of the room faster than her sister, or most of the people in the bar, could see.

She was trying not to feel sorry for herself.

And she’d been trying for a couple of days. Kara had had to murder her boyfriend’s mom and banish her boyfriend from Earth forever. She’d done the right thing, and Mon-El, stupid, sweet, eventually noble Mon-El had told her she was doing the right thing. Had encouraged her. Like their self-sacrifices would take away the sting of loneliness.

It hadn’t worked.

Mon-El was gone, James had moved on, and Winn and Alex had lovers. Kara knew she had no right to feel so lonely and adrift with such good people in her life. Nevertheless, she was really lonely and a little depressed.

For a brief shining moment she’d had a guy who worshipped her, and who couldn’t break with a kiss and wasn’t going to die in sixty years and leave her all alone. She’d had the promise of romance that humans got—even if Mon-El could be an overbearing jerk face who needed to respect boundaries.

And now she was back at square one.

And it _sucked_.

She leapt lightly into the air and floated through the city, just fast enough that people wouldn’t wonder why Supergirl was wearing a really cute navy blue overcoat.

The worst part about Mon-El being gone wasn’t that she couldn’t talk to him—they’d been more of a bang their brains out relationship than an “open and honest feelings” one, it was just that feeling of something being missing. For a month or two or her whole life had clicked into place and now it had unclicked.

The wind, strong and from the north, sent her floating south into downtown National City. She spied a light in a window high above the others. Someone still working on a Friday night.

Kara knew why she was swooping through the air feeling miserable for herself. But she had no idea why Lena was still at work so late.

She landed lightly just outside of the front entrance, pushing her glasses back up her nose. She supposed there was one way to find out.

***

The phone on Lena's desk rang. An unusual incident any time of day. She didn't give the number out, so she was never bothered by curious reporters or irate shareholders. Even her assistants always just appeared at the door instead of using the line.

So it ringing was weird. It ringing at eleven o'clock on a Friday night was unheard of.

She answered, trying to temper the confusion in her tone.

"Ms. Luthor, this is Terry at the front desk?"

Lena's brow knitted in bewilderment. Terry, she assumed, was one of the security guards at the entrance to the building. As she only ever used the parking garage she’d never had an occasion to meet him. “Yes?"

"Ma'am, you have a visitor." He lowered his voice. "Kara Danvers?"

She started at the name. She hadn’t seen Kara since Lena had built a device that Supergirl used to either kill or forcibly deport Kara’s boyfriend off planet. In truth…she’d been avoiding her. Terrified of what her only friend would do to the woman that destroyed her love life.

Kara also never announced herself at the front desk. Even the couple of times she’d been grumpy with Lena she’d still show up a few hours later, bounding into Lena's office with some kind of evil pastry in a greasy bag. The day shift knew to let Kara pass and Lena's assistant would buzz her through the doors when she arrived on the 47th floor.

She supposed Kara had never been by this late before.

Biting back a nervous smile Lena told Terry to let Kara pass. Then she walked (jogged) to the receptionist’s desk and waited until the ding heralding Kara's arrival. Lena had to press on a foot pedal to let her in and Kara wordlessly raised an eyebrow.

"No one’s here this late,” Lena explained.

"You were."

She looked down shyly. As much as she adored Kara she had an unerring gaze that sometimes made Lena too nervous. A pointless crush best hidden by ducking her head and looking away.

Kara peeked over the edge of the desk. "I never realized there was a pedal."

"Hold over the the last exec up here. He refused to carry a pass but didn't want his buzzing in to be obvious."

"Oh..." Kara was going that thing where she wanted to say something but didn't want to offend.

So Lena did it for her. “My brother personally hired him, so naturally he was a real class act."

"Sounds like it." She trailed after Lena into her office. Flopping onto the couch like she belonged there.

She _looked_ like she belonged there.

Which just made Lena more nervous. Kara had obviously come to confront her for her part in her boyfriend’s banishment. It was the only reason she’d be in Lena’s office so late.

Lena tried a smile and when it failed to spread across her face she pursed her lips. “Any particular reason you’re stopping by at this hour?”

Kara had a tight grip on the edge of the couch, but leaned, her head resting lazily on the back of the couch. “Just flying by and saw you were still here.”

Lena raised an eyebrow. “You can tell which office is mine from the street?”

Kara blushed. “I figured it out a while ago. When I knocked on the door downstairs the guard told me you were still in.”

He probably shouldn’t have done that.

“Why are you still in,” Kara asked. Her eyes seemed darker than usual behind her glasses.

“Work. When you accidentally aid and abet an alien invasion there’s a lot of paperwork.”

Kara pursed her lips. “It wasn’t your fault.”

No, a lot of what transpired, including Mike/Mon-El’s departure, was very much Lena’s fault. “Tell that to the people of National City, and their lawyers.”

“Do you want me to write a story—“

God how could Kara be so nice?! “No. You just got back in good with your bosses. I’ll figure it out on my own, Kara.”

“You don’t have to.”

Kara seemed to genuinely mean it. A sweet sentiment. Yet the last time Lena worked with someone Rhea ended up taking her prisoner and parading her around a spaceship like a Stepford daughter. Kara, of course, would never take advantage of Lena that way—she was fairly certain Kara didn’t have a ruthless bone in her body. But Lena also needed to learn to be…self sufficient. It was safer for everyone that way.

Besides. Boyfriend. Banished. Because of Lena.

Lena cleared her throat. “If you give me a minute to finish this up we can go get a pizza? Maybe kill a bottle of wine?“ And maybe the wine would lubricate Lena’s tongue enough for her to actually apologize.

"I'd like that,” Kara said with a soft smile.

Lena returned to her work, the missing boyfriend forgotten, and the contentedness of companionable silence sparking something warm within. Kara was unusually quiet, with none of her normal energy, and instead of worrying Lena, as it probably should have, it just made her cozier. Like Kara could only be this calm around Lena.

But the next thing Lena knew an hour had passed and Kara was sleeping on her couch. She'd leaned over on to her side, cheek planted on a throw pillow and knees pulled up towards her center.

Her glasses were a little askew and some of her hair had shifted out of her braid. Lena wrapped it around her finger before tucking it away from Kara's face and leaning down to drag a hand across Kara's curved shoulder.

She said Kara's name as a whisper. Part of her reluctant to even wake her up, too proud to know that Kara felt comfortable enough to do this around her. Like a real friend would out of the CW shows they’d both grown up on.

“Kara,” she said again.

Blisteringly blue eyes opened, confused until they focused on Lena. Then she was rewarded with a smile that might have broken a lesser Luthor.

“Hi,” Kara said. “Did I fall asleep?”

“I’m afraid we both zoned out. Not sure the pizza place is still open.”

Lena’s phone was in her other hand, and Kara gently twisted it around. Warm fingers enveloping Lena’s own. She pressed the power button and noted the time. “My favorite diner’s open. Ever had a pound of fries covered in eggs, sausage, and cheese?”

“I haven’t had a french fry since college.”

“Oh then we’re getting fries.” She pushed herself up, stretching and standing. “We’re sitting in an office building after midnight on a Friday. We deserve fries.”

“Kara—“

“You deserve them,” Kara said, eyes suddenly on Lena again, sharp and too knowing.

“I’ll drive,” she squeaked.

She could live in a smile as warm as Kara’s.

***

It was mean to inflict that many carbs onto Lena. Kara knew Lena liked to watch her calorie intake, that she calculated the results of every piece of food that passed her lips. She’d seen the little pauses when Kara would stop by with donuts, and she’d suffered enough lunches involving kale.

But Kara wanted hangover fries and she wanted her best friend to experience hangover fries too.

The best friend thing was new. Lena had been her friend ever since their first meeting—like something clicking into place. But between the boys and Alex, Lena had existed pretty far back on the list of priority friends—particularly with Kara’s need to hide her superhero identity.

So there were no invitations to the bar or game night for Lena. Just the rare one on one moments they could put together at the last minute.

Kara felt this moment, the two of them in a truck stop diner on the edge of town eating greasy borderline undercooked potatoes, was the moment they became best friends (saving her from an alien spaceship didn’t count because Lena didn’t know it was her).

It was a feeling like a spike in the gut, and she grinned at the sensation.

“You seem very pleased with yourself,” Lena said. There was amusement in her voice.

Despite how well lit the diner was, no one was actually paying attention to them. Lena had not received a single angry look or cruel aside, and it had her perky.

Kara shoved six fries in her mouth at once. “I’m enjoying greasy gut bombs with my best friend. What’s not to love?”

“Best friend?”

Kara had long ago noticed Lena like to give their friendship outs. Dropping little exit signs to escape a relationship with a Luthor. Kara had gotten good at ignoring them.

“Best friend. You want a Roy Rogers? This place makes a Roy Rogers that would give my foster mom a run for her money.”

“I have no idea what that is.”

“Enough caffeine to get you home safely before the sugar crash.” Kara ordered two.

Lena didn’t object. Instead she leaned on her enormous water glass and watched Kara with what Kara hoped was fondness. “Foster mom?”

Kara pushed her glasses back up her nose. “Yeah. Eliza’s not my…my birth parents died in a fire when I was thirteen.”

The news twisted Lena’s features. Not quite to the point of pity. More empathy. “I had no idea.”

She shrugged. “I lucked out. Got an amazing sister out of the deal, and Eliza—she makes the best pie in the galaxy.” She glanced at Lena, who was saying nothing. Kara shrugged. “It’s a little different than having the leader of Cadmus for a mom.”

Lena laughed. Then she plucked the end of a piece of sausage off the plate between them and popped it into her mouth like it was an olive. “Shows what you know. Lillian’s oatmeal raisin cookies are to die for.”

“So she’s not all evil. That’s good to hear!”

The waitress returned with their Roy Rogers, two cokes with a thick red layer of grenadine syrup at the bottom. Kara took hers and immediately began mixing it with her straw. “You got to stir them so they taste good. Alex likes to try and Boston shaker hers.” She leaned across the table. “The waitresses do not.”

Lena stuck her straw into her own drink and began stirring. “I’ll stick with the straw.”

Kara focused on her own stirring. Not too fast that it’d be a super stir, but not too slow that Lena would think something was wrong with her. Just nice, measured stirring. The red syrup climbing up the sides of the glass and transforming the dark brown of the coke into something brighter and more pleasant.

She could hear the bubbles of carbon dioxide, agitated. She could feel each pop against the straw. Over the top of her glasses and zoomed in with her vision the little explosions appeared incandescent. As good a show as the Fourth of July.

“Kara,” she glanced up. Lena was much more idle with her stirring. “Not that I don’t enjoy this, but is there a reason we’re in a truck stop eating junk food at almost one in the morning?”

“I thought…” Kara had been lonely. Just wanting a friend.

“I saw your light on and thought you needed to go out.”

“Most friends go dancing.”

“We can go dancing—“

“I don’t want to go dancing.” Lena let her straw go. Caught up in the current it continued a few more lazy rotations in her glass. “I want to talk.”

How did you tell someone you were so lonely you thought it was going to claw its way out of your chest. That it was gouging out your eyes when you saw people be happy. That it burned like a dying planet in your throat?

Kara had a practiced smile to cover it up. One she hadn't had to use in....months? Years? She could barely remember the ache being this potent.

She donned it like her cape. Sitting taller. Smiling harder. Forcing the edges of her eyes to crinkle and for brightness to eke into her voice.

"I just wanted to hang out with a friend tonight Lena. That's all."

She reached out tangling their fingers together. She heard the quick hitch in Lena's breath. Saw the erratic way her touch did something to Lena's pulse. She'd never had a friend that reveled in her touch like Lena did.

Lena squeezed. Hard enough for Kara to feel it. Then she disentangled their hands and sipped her soda.

The sugar hit her so hard her eyes widened in surprise.

And she didn't press again.

***

_Years Ago, back in Midvale_

There was a Waffle House six exits after the beach and way before Midvale itself. It was part of a little rest stop, with some gas stations, two motels, and a Dairy Queen Alex got food poisoning from once.

But the Waffle House was where everyone went after a day of surfing. They’d crowd in, bringing a fine layer of sand with them, and order their hash browns in a mad variety of styles that Kara was determined to try each of. There were over three million ways to get them and Kara had only managed a hundred and twelve so far.

She ordered enough to get her past one fifteen, while Alex ordered two pecan waffles, bacon, and eggs. Eliza, if she’d known, would have had a fit.

“You girls eat far too much” she said, usually after dinner when they were both bloated on the couch, laptops resting on their distended bellies.

“Why are all surfers assholes,” Alex asked. She was shredding waffle number two with her fork, making it distinctly less appetizing, even for Kara.

“Some of them are nice…”

“Nope.” She drenched her waffle in syrup. “A hundred percent assholes. I did calculations.”

“You can’t calculate that.”

“I’m in AP Calculus, Kara. I can calculate anything.”

Kara rolled her eyes and reached across the table to snatch some of the waffle mess off Alex’s plate. Alex blocked her with her fork.

Then tried to dart across the table for Kara’s smothered, covered, and capped potatoes.

That was when _Riley_ found them. “Aren’t you two cute,” he said, grabbing a chair from a neighboring table and flipping it around so he could lean on the back. “Trying to eat your feelings?”

“Shut up,” Alex said. She angrily shoved a too big bite of waffle into her mouth.

“Heard Little Danvers here wiped out so bad no one wants you surfing with them.”

Kara winced, and tried to look anywhere but at her sister, who was so mad Kara could hear her blood rushing.

“She can still hit a tube better than you ever could.”

Riley scowled. “Broke her board though, didn’t she?” He stared at Kara. “Epic wipe out.”

Alex’s chair scraped loudly on the tile. Kara, being faster than a speeding bullet (maybe), could see it all like a tableau. Her sister getting ready to punch, Riley slowly turning and about to received a fist to the nose. Others watching, their own food forgotten.

But Kara beat her sister to the punch, shouting, “You’re a jerk,” so loudly the fry cook stopped his smothering and covering of a batch of hash browns.

Riley looked incredulous, hand drifting to his chest in surprise.

Kara kept going. “You’re a big, mean, _jerk_ , and people only surf with you because you have a car big enough to carry everyone’s boards. Otherwise you wouldn’t have any friends and you would be very sad and alone and it would be entirely because you’re a self-absorbed…jerk!”

Alex’s mouth had dropped open.

In fact, the whole restaurant, full of people from school, had stopped eating and were staring at their table. Kara blushed, shrinking back into her chair.

Riley blushed too, quick and hot looking. Then he stood a little taller and looked down at her like a Daxamite would have.

He had an evil smile. “Yeah, well I’ve got two parents. And you’ve killed how many now? Three—“

He didn’t finish that last word. Kara was fast, but she’d been so focused on Riley being a big jerk that she missed her sister launching herself at him again, fist first.

She only noticed when Alex’s chair clattered to the ground and Riley collapsed onto the tile.

Then she noticed Alex’s hand. Knuckles still red.

The manager made them leave. Said they didn’t have to pay, but that they could never come back.

Kara never did get to try the other three million versions of Waffle House’s hash browns.

***

_The Now, National City well after midnight_

Kara couldn’t take her eyes off her phone as they walked out of the diner. Like she was going to use it to call a Lyft or Uber or whatever the most socially accepted car share was currently.

Lena cleared her throat and when Kara looked up she stared at her until she put her phone away.

This sheepish expression was a new one. "I'm not on your way,” Kara said.

Never taking her eyes off her Lena pointed her key at her car. The flash of lights illuminating them both.

Kara looked away first, the smile fleeting and too heartbreaking.

She was upset. Lena knew her well enough to know that. A fresh wound only beginning to scar. All Lena wanted to do was fix it and find that friend of hers who called Britney and Justin her OTP and brought her donuts to cheer her up. They had roles in this newly defined friendship, and she didn't like to see them shifting. Didn't like to see Kara so upset.

So she drove as slow as was legal and took the long way round, as if the distance would draw a confession out of her friend.

There was only the sound of the road and a soft guitar being plucked on the radio, so quiet it seemed half imagined.

Kara, calm and quiet, seemed especially tragic in the fleeting lights of the street lamps. Some goddess carved from marvel millennia ago with all the color worn away by weather and war.

Once, after Lena reached out to turn in the headed seats, she let her hand fall in the center console. Her fingers brushed Kara's and she swallowed the sharp intake of breath.

Kara seemed hard as stone, but then she seemed to soften. As if she liked the proximity. Craved it as much as Lena did. Her thumb was a ghost over Lena's hand. Until it was warmth pressed to her.

Friends, Lena told herself, held hands.

At a stoplight, just close enough to Kara's apartment that Lena could see the light in the window, a crowd of gentrifying kids crossed the street. Noisy and happy and so at odds either whatever was happening in the car.

The turn signal was ticking along with their laughter.

"I lost my boyfriend," Kara said. Loud enough to be heard.

Lena knew. She braced herself for the accusation that would come, and erode everything they’d built.

But Kara's hand was tight around her own. She didn’t let go. "I miss him."

Something about Kara always struck Lena as bulletproof. Maybe it was because Kara was always managing Lena’s crises and never the other way around. Maybe it was because the few times she had seen Kara upset she’d also watched her swallow her fear and move ahead as though invulnerable.

But the way Kara’s voice lilted, soft and sad, demanded that Lena hug her. She couldn’t take back what was done, but she could try and fix what was broken.

She dropped Kara’s hand and started to reach across the console. Then she caught herself, some small part concerned that Kara would shy away from the hug.

But Kara didn’t. She followed through when Lena couldn’t, burying her face in the crook of Lena’s neck and squeezing so tight Lena was a little worried for her ribs.

There was a hitch in Kara, one that Lena felt against her palms, smoothed over Kara’s back. She had to bring one hand up and stroke Kara’s hair, as Kara usually did when Lena was the one busy being despondent.

“It’s all right,” she said, and they both knew it was a lie.

Kara always had genuine platitudes when Lena was crying. Lena could just come up with empty ones.

She squeezed a little tighter and tried to mean what she said next. Uttered it like an oath before a court.

“I’ve got you.”

She was determined to mean it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay. Work trips are fuuuuun. Fortunately I have a few chapters after this written and just in need of an edit, so the next update should be much faster.

Booze made it really easy to not talk about the proposal. Drinking to a point she hadn't reached since college made it easy for Alex to fight her instincts. All she wanted to do was ask Maggie why. She wanted to dig in and understand how she could be so non-committal when all Alex wanted to do was commit to everything.

Which is why when they went to the bar Alex drank enough that she could forget the big questions and focus on the little things. Like Maggie's teeth at her throat.

God, she'd had no idea that teeth nipping skin could be sexy until she dated Maggie.

But then they left the bar and Maggie muttered "your place is closer" and she pulled Alex's shirt away from her collar bone and sucked until Alex's flesh bruised.

"Sounds good," Alex said.

It didn't sound good.

So she focused on kissing during the taxi ride. Part of her, some last vestige of sobriety, knew what was coming. What had to happen the moment Maggie kissed her forehead instead of saying yes or no.

That last little part of her tried to commit every moment to memory. The soft puff of breath before Maggie slipped her tongue into Alex's mouth. The tendons on the hand twisted in the hem of Alex's shirt. The thigh pressed to her own. The hair that seemed like a curtain around them, until it got in her mouth and they both parted with a laugh.

She didn't want to forget any of it. And the more Alex catalogued, the more fervent Maggie seemed to become. Like she could end the looming conversation with a kiss.

She pressed Alex to the side of the elevator car on their way up. One hand on her hip and the other pressed to her throat. At Alex's door she clung to Alex's back, drawing the hair away from her neck to suck at the spot below Alex's ear.

Inside Maggie grinned, quickly pulling her hair back into a ponytail and attacking Alex's mouth before she could fully enunciate Maggie's name.

But it was coming. Building slowly and steady in Alex's gut. The need to ask why.

Maggie pressed her against the back of the couch and fell to her knees, drawing up Alex's shirt to lay wet kisses against her stomach. Her hand drove up into the seam of Alex's jeans and her brain briefly short circuited, all questions--all thought--lost. When the wonderful haze cleared Maggie was clawing at Alex's zipper with singular focus.

Like she had to have this--have Alex. Like the alternative to sex was that inevitable conversation.

It sobered Alex quickly. Her hand reached down to halt Maggie's ministrations. She said Maggie’s name, surprised out how pained she sounded uttering it.

Maggie was out of breath, and her eyes were wide and dark, and her mouth was all bruised and God the last thing Alex wanted to do was hurt her--them. The last thing she wanted was to stop a happy lazy night between them.

She swallowed.

She wasn't as strong or as fast as her sister, but she could be as brave.

"Maggie. We need to talk."

***

_Years ago, Midvale_

Kara’s puppy dog look was lethal. Alex had figured that out back when Kara was new to their family and she kind of hated her. Now she usually used it to her advantage, launching her sister at her mom or teachers like a tactical nuke.

Kara, owing to being a guileless Kryptonian who’d never fully perceived deception until she’d fled to Earth, never picked up on it.

That meant Alex was kind of a shithead for taking advantage of her new sister, but Kara could also fly to Tulum and explore ancient tombs in an afternoon if she wanted, so whatever.

Until Kara found Alex climbing out of her bedroom window at eleven o’clock a night. Her soft cry of Alex’s name, and those stupid puppy dog eyes, was positively fatal.

Enough so that Alex sagged against the window. “Kara.”

“Where are you going?”

“Out.”

Kara came closer. “It’s after ten.”

“I know.”

Kara’s eyes flickered down to the floor. Eliza was down there. In her office doing stupid medical stuff. Or maybe getting ready for bed. She could just hear the faint noise of late night TV coming up the stairs.

“You can’t.”

“I can, actually. I’m going out with friends—“ Kara opened her mouth to interrupt. “And you’re staying here.”

“Why?”

How did she tell her sister that as much as she cared about her she, their house, and the grieving woman downstairs, they were all suffocating her? She couldn’t just say it. Kara would flinch like a wounded puppy and be so deeply affected she’d probably run away to Metropolis.

So Alex sucked in a deep breath and lied. “Vicki’s been fighting with her mom a bunch. We’re just gonna get together and go to IHOP and talk. I need you here in case Mom comes upstairs looking for me.”

“You’re sure?” Her sister was so damn adorable it was annoying.

“It’s just boring gross feelings stuff Kara. Honest.”

Kara suddenly launched herself into Alex’s arms, nearly sending them both out the window. “Be careful” she whispered into Alex’s hair.

Alex felt kind of like an asshole.

And the feeling didn’t go away after she’d jogged down the hill to Eric’s car in the pitch black and they drove even further out to a private beach they had no business going to.

Cars always felt more private than a bedroom or a beach. The closed in space. The way the seals on the door muffled the outside.

Eric leaned across the console and grinned. She could see the hair sprouting out from the top of his shirt, and the burn from the dull razor he used on his face.

"Want to fool around," he asked. His breath smelled like the spaghetti sauce his mom must have made for dinner.

Alex did not want to fool around. She hadn't since the first time they'd had sex and it had been nothing like One Tree Hill.

She made a show of studying him, even leaning in and letting her eyes linger on his lips. Then she bolted outed of the car and ran for the beach, tearing off her shorts as she went.

By the time he'd unpacked their boards and made it down to the beach she was already soaked and floating on her back.

"Danvers," Eric shouted. "At least come grab your board!"

The waves weren't crazy, but the peace of a lonely beach near midnight was addictive. Salt splashing in her mouth and cold water ready to clog her ears.

She spread her hands up towards the moon. Light caught on the rivulets of salt water running down her arms.

Afterwards they did fool around. Sloppy, gritty kisses and a lot of panting that made Alex want to giggle. She was more worried about her shorts, soaked from the water, and her shoes, filled with sand, than the boy muttering ‘I love you’ against her lips.

She couldn't wait until she was done being upset about her dead dad. Maybe then kissing a boy would feel like more than this.

It had to feel like more than this.

***

_The Now, National City, a police station_

Maggie was really glad she wasn't one of those self-destructive people that went off the rails after she got dumped. Yeah, she and Alex were over and it was her own damn fault, but the next day she was in the office by nine and only two co-workers asked if she was okay.

That was great. Compared to the last time she'd broken up with a love of her life it was epic!

Maggie had even told Alex that she wanted to be friends. That she wanted to support her in finding that right woman. Someone who heard "marry me" and didn't want to run for the hills because they weren’t good enough. Someone who could want all the firsts with Alex even if they moved at a crazy pace. Someone as brave and strong and perfect as Alex--

Okay. She maybe sobbed in the bathroom from nine thirty to ten fifteen and one of the people who asked if she was okay was another woman in the bathroom listening to her sob.

But Maggie was keeping things together. She and Alex were done, but she was going to survive.

And Alex had said "I still want to see you". Like they really would be friends.

So it wasn’t all bad.

“Sawyer,” her captain shouted, hanging out of his office and glaring at Maggie. “In here.”

Maggie swiped a last bit of lingering moisture off her cheek and tried to walk into Kelvin Mao’s office with her shoulders back.

Mao sat down at his desk and nodded at the only unoccupied seat in the room. Dan Turpin was sitting in the other chair, his gut hanging over his jeans and straining the plaid shirt he was wearing. He grinned and started to say something, but Maggie’s look shut him up.

“You know Turpin from Organized Crimes,” Mao asked.

Everyone knew Turpin. The graying cop had been at the job for twenty years, with more than ten of them in National City and he was good at stopping bad guys. He just had a reputation for sometimes being a little…rough.

“Heard a lot about you Sawyer,” Turpin said, a leer in his tone. He was a burly guy, with black hair on his knuckles, eyebrows fat like caterpillars and a five o’clock shadow that seemed to never disappear.

“Same,” Maggie said, her smile so frigid it froze any leftover tears.

“Turpin’s been working on a case against Intergang—“

“You know ‘em,” Turpin asked.

Intergang, one of the most persistent US-based organized crime outfits. It was big, smart, and everywhere. Lex Luthor had been the de facto leader of the organization until the Daily Planet did an expose on him that revealed his ties (and ultimately turned him into the super villain who tried to destroy the world). Intergang had somehow survived Luthor’s fall, and morphed into something even a Super couldn’t eradicate.

Turpin didn’t wait for her to answer. “They were behind that bank heist Supergirl busted up a couple of weeks ago.”

The bank heist that had led to Maggie and Kara fighting and Alex getting kidnapped. She just nodded.

“And just about every other bank heist in the last year,” Turpin continued.

“Impressive for Intergang, but what does that have to do with me?”

“It’s the weapons they’re using. A bunch of alien crap. Which means somewhere down the line is an alien. Word is you’re friendly with aliens.”

She was in a room with two very good cops, and gritting her teeth would be a tell she couldn’t afford. So she went for impassive staring.

“First name basis with Supergirl even.”

“I’ve found myself, on more than one occasion, working with Supergirl—“

“And her Men in Black friends who don’t exist.”

“Turpin,” Mao warned.

The other detective grinned and held his hands up in mock surrender. “I need someone who gets the me morp crowd Sawyers. That means you.”

“I’m assigning you to work with Turpin and his taskforce,” Mao said. “Effective immediately.”

“But just you,” Turpin added. “If I wanted to work with aliens I’d jump off a building and wait for one of ‘em to catch me. We clear?”

Last week Maggie would have bristled at Turpin’s… ”request.” But this week she was so glad to have orders not to work with Alex or Kara that she kind of wanted to kiss both of Turpin’s fuzzy cheeks and sing a hallelujah.

***

Between a dead dad, alien refugee sister, and a couple of decades of being in the closet Alex had not had many opportunities to be genuinely happy. She’d found ports in the storm—like extended cuddle sessions with Kara, that time her mom told her she was the best of them, and one really major rager in college.

And Maggie. For a little while there Maggie had made her disgustingly happy. And now they were on a break because Alex proposed and Maggie freaked out.

Dating was _hard_. And what was worse, she couldn’t even complain to Kara about it, because Kara just had to forcibly dump her boyfriend after banishing his entire race from Earth. So even though Alex really kind of wanted to cry, wallow, and eat an entire pint of ice cream she instead came into work with a sunny smile on her face.

The rest of the team didn’t need to know she and Maggie were on the outs. Thank God neither of them used Facebook.

Winn, little tablet clutched in hand, stopped abruptly when he saw her forced smile. “You’re disgusting,” he said. Sneer curling his lips.

Alex shot back. “I wasn’t the one trying to finger my girlfriend in the bar last night.”

Winn’s face went slack. “We’re both disgusting. Disgustingly happy.”

She slapped him on the shoulder. “Pretty sure you’re just disgusting Winn. And graphic.”

“Lila likes it when I—“

Alex stared at him, eyebrow raised, until he blushed.

“How long do you think Lila and I are going to be banned from the bar?”

“Dolly said two weeks.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have had that sixth shot,” Winn grumbled. He slunk over to his station and collapsed into his chair.

Kara, who joined Alex at the ops table, raised an eyebrow. “What’s up with Winn?”

Alex leaned on the table next to her. “Two week ban from the bar for PDA.” She bumped her shoulder against Kara’s. “How’d patrol go?”

She expected some story about an idiot trying to knock off a liquor store or break into a vault. Instead she got her sister blushing so badly it turned her ears pink. “I…skipped it?”

Alex frowned. “I thought that was why you left early last night?” She’d been pretty wrapped up in Maggie but she distinctly remembered her sister saying she was going on patrol.

“Sure, but then I started flying and I saw Lena was still up, so we got together and went out for greasy truck stop food.”

“You got Roy Rogers without me?”

“You were busy, and it’s fine. Lena’d never had one before.”

Alex eyed her sister, but chose to say nothing about how weird it was for Kara to cold call Lena and take her out to a truck stop on the edge of the city for non-alcoholic drinks.

If Kara wanted to grieve for her relationship by spending all her time with the woman who sort of kind of built the machine that sent Mon-El across the universe then Alex was going to…talk it out with Kara at a much needed Sisters’ Night.

“You want to do a Sister’s Night sometime this week?”

Kara shrugged. She was doing that forced “fine” thing of hers. “Sure. There’s a new season Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt we can watch. Your place or mine?”

“Um, definitely yours.”

“Maggie joining us?” It sounded casual. It looked casual. Kara was watching Vasquez flick Winn in the ear while he tried to concentrate on a level on Space Invaders.

“No,” she said, loading up a lie. “Maggie’s got a week of long nights ahead of her for work.”

That earned a glance. “Think she needs Supergirl’s help?”

“I think if she does she’ll tell us. Otherwise we should probably stick to—actually I have no idea. Hey Winn! What’s going on in the world?”

Winn dodged another ear flick and spun around in his chair. “Fat lot of nothing currently. But I am getting some funky vibes from Fort Rozz.”

Kara perked up. “You keep an eye on Fort Rozz?”

“Sure do. Got to keep an eye on it until it hits the sun in a couple of years. Especially in case someone decides to try and salvage what’s left of Myriad.”

Kara rounded the table, her hands falling to her hips in a Supergirl pose that looked out of place while she was wearing the tweed skirt and lavender button down. “Someone’s trying to salvage Myriad?”

Winn shook his head. “That I do not know. But I got some weird energy readings, and it looks like someone is definitely on board.”

Alex came to stand beside her sister. “Think Kara’s pod can make it out there?”

Kara scoffed. "Yeah. My father and uncle Jor-El knew how to make a ship."

"So let's go investigate Winn's weird energy readings."

Winn and Kara shared a quick look. "I think that's more a J'onn and I mission," Kara said.

"With Myriad," Winn added.

"You think there's still a chance any human's brain will turn to mush."

Winn made a small space between his thumb and forefinger. "Little bit."

“Well good thing we still have Max Lord’s anti-Myriad tech, because J'onn can't do spacewalks in our current suits."

Kara wrinkled her nose. "Seriously?"

"Yup. We've started doing test runs after you first put Rozz in space. The pressure’s all wrong. He blows up like Violet in Willy Wonka."

“Agent Danvers.”

Damn it. J’onn loved to make an entrance.

Alex cringed and turned around to face her boss.

“I do not blow up like Violet,” J’onn said. “She turned purple. I’m green.” He approached the monitor. “As are the people making those energy readings.”

Winn glanced at the display. “You can tell who may or may not be on Fort Rozz from an energy reading?”

“That one yes. A Green Lantern. Probably trying to dismantle what’s left of Myriad and take it back to Oa for safekeeping.”

Kara scowled. “Of course they would. I hate those guys.”

“Yeah.” Winn was nodding but looking as confused as Alex felt. “Who are those guys?”

Alex only knew a little from her research. “I think they’re some kind of intergalactic police force?”

“That’s what they claim,” Kara said. “But they’re really a bunch of authoritarian do-nothing jerks. Krypton’s Green Lantern hadn’t been in the sector for _months_ before the planet exploded.”

“And the last Green Lantern I remember on Mars was a white Martian,” J’onn said.

“Sooooo,” Winn said, “Not fans of Green Lanterns. I will make a note.”

Kara and J’onn were both still scowling.

J’onn crossed his arms and glared at the display. “Kara, Alex, I need you two to go up to Myriad and investigate. If the Green Lanterns are suddenly working in this sector again then we need to know about it.”

***

_Years ago, Argo City before it was turned to dust_

The man was only maybe three-quarters her father’s height, and half his weight, but he hugged Zor-El so tightly that her father actually winced.

Kara giggled, and the man dropped her father and rounded on her. “You’ve grown,” he cried, before scooping her up and tossing her high in the air.

At the apex of her arc he used his Ring to form a slide of green glowing energy beneath Kara. She dropped onto it and spiraled down, landing at Tomar-Re and her father’s feet.

Tomar-Re couldn’t grin. He had a beak where Kara and Kryptonians had lips, but his eyes crinkled in amusement, before flickering back to her father.

“She looks healthy,” he said. “You’d never know Krypton was—“

“Tomar-Re,” her father sounded tired. “Not now my friend. Later.”

Tomar-Re sighed and knelt next to Kara. The fin that seemed to bisect his scalp glistened in the red rays of Rao and Kara, being only five and at what her uncle Jor-El called an “obnoxiously tactile phase” felt compelled to touch it.

It was warm, and smooth. Flexing under her fingers.

Until it fluttered suddenly and Tomar-Re laughed at Kara’s cry of alarm. “You’ve always been obsessed with my fin,” he said. “Ever since you were a baby.”

“Have I really known you that long?” Kara couldn’t imagine remembering something that long ago.

He and her father both laughed. But it was her uncle that said “Longer still.”

He dashed over, scooping Kara up and swinging her around onto his back like she was a cape. “Tomar-Re’s been a friend of the House of El for longer than your father and I have been alive.”

Kara watched the Green Lantern with wide eyes. “Is it because of your Ring?”

He laughed. “No. It’s because I’m Xudarian. Our lifespans are impressively long.”

“The Ring just lets him come to Argo City without a passport,” Jor-El said.

“And it gives him that very fetching uniform,” her father added.

Something about the comment made Tomar-Re’s fin darken and then he cleared his throat and nodded at the couch, where the three men sat and spoke of cores and ecology and expanding deserts while Kara drew pictures of the three of them on her crystal. She liked to draw the Green Lantern. The Ring often changed the color of his eyes and wrapped him in a bright green glow that reminded her of the glow of the Urrika Canyons. Whenever he came to visit, which was more and more frequently, he’d craft toys, slides, sometimes entire playgrounds from his ring that Kara would enjoy until he departed.

Sometimes she’d sit in his lap and twist the Ring round and round his finger. Those were usually the times when her father and uncle were hunched over datasets and she’d have Tomar-Re to herself and he’d tell her of all his amazing adventures as the Green Lantern of Sector 2813. She’d lean against his chest, which was hard and bumpier than any Kryptonians, and let herself be lulled to sleep by his trilling voice and soft spoken stories.

She loved Tomar-Re, adored him and his Corp of Lanterns who protected the universe.

At least until the day Krypton died and he did not save a single soul.

***

_The Now, Space, the final frontier_

“I feel like you’re really taking advantage of the fact that I’m basically invulnerable,” Kara grumbled.

Alex readjusted their flight path slightly and then glanced at her sister, who was strapped to the outside of the little ship and had her arms crossed over her chest and the straps, petulantly.

“It’s not that bad,” she said.

“I’m strapped to the side of a rocket Alex!” Kara’s arms and legs jutted out for emphasis. “If Superman saw this I’d be humiliated.”

Alex bit her mouth to contain her amusement.

“Look, it’s not my fault the only ship we have capable of making it to Fort Rozz in under six hours is your single seat ship.”

“Cadmus had a giant freighter. We need one of those.”

“I’ll put it in next quarter’s budget,” J’onn said over the coms. “Now you two focus. You’re approaching Rozz, and when you get close enough ship communication will go dark.”

“It’ll just be you and me in the void of space,” Alex said. “Excited?”

“Be more excited if I was _in_ the ship.”

“You’re about thirty seconds from going dark,” Winn said, his voice already sounding more fuzzy and distant. “Have fun storming the cas—“

“I’m really gonna have to have a conversation with Winn about the inappropriate use of movie references,” Alex said. She was slowing the ship down. Everything was in Kryptonese, from the speed, to thrust, to angles of approach. Alex couldn’t speak Kara’s language worth a damn, but she’d gotten good at reading it.

“I thought that was a nice reference,” Kara said. Their suit to suit comms were still loud and clear.

“We’re not storming a castle. We’re investigating an abandoned prison.”

“So you could say—“

“Kara…”

“There’s something strange in the neighborhood?”

Alex groaned.

Around them the bright rays of sunlight, unfiltered by an atmosphere, disappeared as they entered the shadow of Fort Rozz.

“That’s a lot bigger in person,” Alex said. She had to lean forward and peer up to get the full scope of the station.

Kara’s voice was soft—almost reverent. “It was one of the smaller space stations that orbited Krypton.”

Alex didn’t ask if Kara thought one of the other stations might have survived. The two of them had long moved past the hope of Kara finding some vestige of her slowly forgotten homeworld.

The ship suddenly lurched. There was a sound like metal, far in the distance, screaming.

“Hold on,” Kara said. “I think Rozz has enough gravity that I can—“

There was a distant pop and then Kara floated directly into Alex’s view. She waved vigorously. “I’m gonna land us,” she said. “Hold on.”

“Kara I can probably—nope. Okay. You’re landing us.”

The entire ship shifted, tilting towards a huge fissure in the side of the outer wheel of the station.

They seemed to fly towards it rapidly—fast enough that Alex had the urge to grab something solid and hold on.

Then, just before the tip of Kara’s ship slammed into the station it twisted again and Kara gently set it in what appeared to be a cavernous cargo hold.

She then proceeded to hop up and down, her boots striking the deck of the ship and sending her catapulting upwards. “Ultra low gravity Alex!”

Alex carefully popped the seals on the cockpit and stepped out into her very first space walk. Ever.

The metal rings in her suit, which maintained atmospheric pressure so she didn’t swell up like J’onn, tightened around her.

“It’s like I’m wrapped in latex,” she muttered.

Kara ignored her. She was too busy ping ponging around the cargo hold. In her bright white reflective suit she actually sort of looked like a real ping pong ball.

“This is so cool.” Kara was full on giddy. “I haven’t had to do this since—well I guess it’d be PE on Earth.”

Alex engaged the magnets on her boots so she could try and get her bearings. “You guys did space walks in middle school?”

“We started in elementary school. It was how we learned about vacuums and atmospheres and stuff.” She floated by Alex, an obnoxiously pleased look on her face.

“So it’s kind of like flying though, right?”

“Not really. In this kind of low gravity I have to think a lot more. Make sure I don’t punch another hole through the ship.” She landed softly next to Alex. She couldn’t hear Kara engage her own mag boots, but she felt the quick click through the floor and her own boots.

Kara settled her hand on Alex’s arm. Through the suit it was just a source of firm pressure. “You okay?”

“Zero-g training in pools and airplanes is a little different than walking around an abandoned prison-slash-space station.”

Kara grinned. “Way more fun right?”

“Way, _way_ more.” She hit a button on her suit’s computer and a map for the station appeared in her helmet’s HUD. “So according to the schematics we have, there’s a few miles of prison for you and I to make it through. I say we split up—“

“Alex with the number of horror films you’ve watched in your lifetime you should know that’s a bad idea.”

“Our comms are clear and we both have positional tracking in our suits. Besides,” she patted the gun on her hip. “I’m armed and you’re Supergirl. It’ll be fine.”

Kara glanced down at her suit, there was zero insignia to let other’s knew she was Supergirl and she’d grumped about it as they strapped her to the side of ship before leaving Earth.

“I promise I’ll make you the most kickass Super Space Suit to ever exist,” Winn had said, before patting Kara on top of her helmet.

Alex disengaged her boots and pushed towards her sister, clinging to her like they were in a pool. “I’ll be fine Kara. And we’ll be in constant contact.”

“What could—“

“Alex—“

“Go wrong.”

Kara groaned. “If you die I’m not even going to feel bad.”

***

Shit.

Alex kind of regretted telling Kara they should split up. Between not being as nimble as Kara in zero-g and floating around the wreckage of a long abandoned prison filled (probably spiritually speaking) with the ghosts of the dead, Alex was a little wigged out.

There was a click on her comms, then Kara’s voice filled her ear. “You okay? Your heartbeat is getting a little erratic.”

“You can hear my heart through the void of space?”

“No. But these neat HUDs let us monitor each other.” The was another series of clicks as Kara disconnected and then connected again. “It also says you’re a little dehydrated.”

“If hydration means I have to go in this suit I’m gonna stick with being dehydrated.” Alex floated under an enormous beam that had carved a corridor in two. “Does your super hearing work at all up here?”

“A little. Space is a vaccuum, but it’s still full of stuff.”

“But you can’t hear my heartbeat.” Briefly Alex thought she saw a dull green glow ahead. But between the lamps on her shoulders and all the other little lights on her suit she couldn’t be sure. It might have just been a reflection.

“No. But I can hear lower frequencies, and without all the sounds on earth I can actually hear them pretty well.”

The light seemed to reflect out of a room, but the door to it seemed jammed shut. Alex pulled the crowbar out of its holster on her thigh and leaned in to try and open the door. “Like what?”

“The hum of a black hole two hundred million light years away.”

Her hands slipped and Alex bounced harmlessly off the closed door.

“I heard that too. Did you just run into a wall?”

“A door.” She got a better grip on the bar and began to pull. “You can hear black holes?”

“Sure.”

The door was not budging. “What do they sound like?”

Kara sighed. Wistful. “Almost nothing. Like if the Phantom Zone was a little more tangible.”

“Oh.”

Kara never, ever, talked about the Phantom Zone. She claimed she couldn’t remember much. Alex was sure that was a lie, but was also sure that if her sister ever really did want to talk about it she would.

She jammed the crowbar back into the crack in the door and pulled again.

“What are you doing?” Kara sounded way too amused for Alex’s self esteem.

“Trying to get this door open. It’s fused shut, but I thought I saw light.”

“Alex, be careful. If a door’s fused shut there’s probably a reason.”

“I’m fine, Kara there’s nothing to—“

STOP.

Alex froze.

DO NOT CRY OUT.

Okay. Okay. Alex was hearing a voice. In her head.

“Alex?” And Kara was still there over comms.

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m here.”

SHE CANNOT HEAR US.

The inside of Alex’s head was getting very creepy.

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE WORD CREEPY.

Alex bolted back from the door, pushing herself away so hard that her air tank clanged loudly against the bulkhead opposite the door.

BE CALM.

It was a little hard to be calm with a voice was in her head that was not her voice.

IT IS HOW MY PEOPLE COMMUNICATE. PLEASE. I NEED YOUR HELP HUMAN.

God. This was…

Alex swallowed and floated back towards the door. She once again gripped the crowbar, grunted, and then yanked. The door popped open.

“You sure you’re okay,” Kara asked.

“Sure. Just getting the door open and hearing—“

SHE MUST NOT KNOW.

Okay. Why was Alex _not_ going to tell her sister there was a voice in her head?

THE KRYPTONIAN HARBORS GREAT DISTRUST.

Who wouldn’t when being shouted at through the vacuum of space?

PLEASE. I NEED YOUR HELP ALEX DANVERS OF EARTH.

Somehow Alex knew that. Like the alien (because she seriously doubted it was a metahuman) wasn’t just sharing whole thoughts, but feelings, and other sensations too. She followed a dull ache through the door and into a room somehow darker than any other she’d seen on the station. The walls, ceiling, and even the floors were painted a matte black so dark it seemed to absorb light.

There was a console at the center, and some part of Alex knew, after years of studying Fort Rozz’s databases, that she was in the control center of the prison.

And far in the corner, wedged so tightly against the wall as to be invisible, lay a creature blanketed in soft, green light.

“Kara…”

PLEASE.

“What’s up?”

SHE CANNOT KNOW.

Alex had no idea what the creature was. It was humanoid in shape, but there was no nose or mouth on its head. Just six inky black eyes that looked sickly in the light. At its center, near where a human stomach might be, was a gaping orifice that seemed to be wheezing some kind of air. Something was leaking out of the orifice and had soaked through the creature’s suit, which was all black as the room and green too.

The creature was hurt.

NO. I AM DYING.

Alex pushed herself closer, the need to help overwhelming the fear. Distantly she could hear Kara over her comm asking what was wrong.

Closer she could see wounds and contusions all over the visible flesh of the creature’s body. The orifice at the center of its torso—clearly some kind of mouth—was gasping for air. The green light it was blanketed in seemed to pulse with each breath.

She glanced around the room, but saw no signs of what had done the damage to the creature.

IT WAS DARKNESS ITSELF. COME FROM APOCALYPSE IN SEARCH OF—

Okay, the dying psychic alien was deeply dramatic.

NO.

A hand, forged from more of the green light, suddenly squeezed Alex’s shoulder.

THIS IS NOT DRAMA.

Alex gasped. Loud enough that Kara heard it over the comms. “I’m coming to you,” Kara said.

If it wasn’t drama then what did the creature even mean?

I AM A GREEN LANTERN. THE LAST SURVIVOR OF THE CORP. I CAME HERE TO PROTECT THE UNIVERSE.

And now the creature was dying.

YES. I WILL SOON JOIN MY FRIENDS. YOU—

Fear, cold and gripping, flooded through Alex’s veins. She knew it was the alien’s fear. Could see it in the way the alien’s multitude of eyes widened too—apparently a universal sign for “holy shit.”

Alex yanked her gun out of its holster and spun around, barrel pointed at the door. She hoped she’d find Kara standing there, but the fear causing her to tremble was more primal.

As was the creature standing in the entrance way.

It might have been a man—shaped as it was. But she’d never seen a man—even a Kryptonian—with eyes that flickered like the fire of some furnace. Kara’s eyes glowed. This creature’s pulsed.

It was larger than a man too, with naked flesh that didn’t swell in the absence of an atmosphere. And there was no mask wrapped around its mouth to provide oxygen. Just an enormous square helmet that seemed to be garishly painted purple and red, with a severe nose guard that only made the creature’s dreadful frown more terrifying.

It grinned and hefted a _spear_ like it was about to skewer Alex and the green alien in one throw. Then it roared and the noise was powerful enough to make the whole space station tremble despite the lack of atmosphere.

The fear freezing the blood in Alex’s veins was no longer the alien’s fear alone.

***


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, good or bad, makes my heart sing.

_Years ago, Midvale_

Clark made Kara deeply uncomfortable. It was something about his smile, which was too human, and how charming he was with Eliza—also too human. He was clearly Kryptonian. It was one of those things she could sense on a cellular level.

But he was also so human that it hurt Kara to look at him. Here was her planet’s legacy. A man who wore blue tights and said “aw shucks” and only chuckled when Alex would groan petulantly and leave the room.

Her family sent Kara to Earth to save him, and whenever he sat at Eliza’s kitchen table, drinking his coffee and joking about the weather, Kara had the acute reminder that she’d failed.

They’d sent a Kryptonian baby to Earth and she’d found a human hybrid when she’d arrived.

“Kara, dear, can you come over here?”

Kara had been standing in the doorway, watching her cousin and foster mother talking and trying to figure out what they were saying between all the idle chatter.

But at Eliza’s beckoning Kara came over and took a seat at the table, her shoulders curving inward. Like if she made herself small enough they’d both stop watching her with those weird little smiles.

“How ya doing,” Clark asked.

She glanced at Eliza and then shrugged. “Okay.”

“Eliza told me about what happened at Waffle House. You and Alex got in a fight?”

“That wasn’t—Riley started it! Alex was just being nice.”

Clark shared a look with Eliza.

“We can’t get in fights Kara.” We. Like it was Kara and Clark against the world.

“I didn’t punch anyone!”

“We know,” Eliza said with a sigh. “But we were talking and—“

“And I’d like for you to come stay with me for the summer, in Kansas,” Clark said. “We can work on controlling your powers—“

“I can control them just fine!” Kara knew for a fact she was using her powers at an earlier age that Clark ever did, she also knew she knew how to control her emotions like a good Kryptonian—unlike her big, little cousin. She’d excelled at it as a child.

“Kara…” Clark was saying her name like he was about to end an argument that had only just started. Like he, a guy she only saw on holidays and at funerals, knew what she needed.

She bolted up out of her chair and straight up the stairs to her room, stopping only to slam the door loud enough that everyone would hear it, but not loud enough that it would break.

Then she waited. She could still hear them downstairs, as clear as if they were in the room next to her, so she turned on her radio as loud as it would go. The Dixie Chicks singing Landslide made the mirror vibrate in its frame.

Eliza and Clark talked well into the night, eventually agreeing he’d come back in the morning to discuss it further. Then Eliza went to bed, and the only noise was from Alex, still up and listening to—ugh— _Linkin Park_.

Alex had the _worst_ taste in music.

Kara turned her own radio off and tried to listen to Alex’s headphones, hoping that the droning scream shouting would turn into white noise.

Then she heard her sister curse in pain.

Within the span of two heartbeats Kara was standing in Alex’s room, the door softly shutting behind her.

“Are you okay?”

Alex was by the window, one leg already out of the house. She looked like Kara’s favorite dragon when her grandfather nearly sat on it.

“Are you sneaking out,” Kara asked, her voice just high enough that it was too loud to be a whisper.

“Will you—“ Alex tripped in her effort to climb back into the house. “Will you be quiet? You’re gonna wake Mom.”

“You were sneaking out? Again?!”

“What? No. I was sneaking back in. Mom grounded me so I couldn’t go to that cool surf contest up the coast.”

“So you’ve been out of the house—all day?”

Alex brushed some sand off her butt. “Sure. But I’m—“

Sometimes Kara forgot how strong she was. Never in the violent moments. When she was angry or upset she had impeccable control of her abilities. It was in the happy moments—the ones where she was so relieved she was practically boneless.

She squeezed her sister tight, ignoring Alex’s pained “ooph” sound.

“What if something happened to you?”

Alex grunted. “Nothing did. Why are you—”

She pushed on Kara’s shoulder until Kara stepped back—though she was still on the balls of her feet, ready to wrap her sister up again.

“Why are you being so weird?” Alex reared back a little, studying Kara like she had that first day, after the introductions and the tour and dinner. When it was just Kara and Alex sitting in Alex’s bedroom and they were both trying to reconcile their new, very alien, relationship. “Is this about Dad? Kara you have to know me sneaking out isn’t gonna end like Dad. I’m fine.” She pressed her hand against her chest for proof.

Kara shook her head. Tears already spilling down her face. And it wasn’t just because Alex had been so casual talking about Jeremiah’s death for the first time like, ever. “You weren’t here.”

“Here? Here for what? Clark making his semi-annual visit to act like he gives a crap?”

Kara glared, the tears drying quickly in her eyes. “He wants to take me away.”

“Away? Where?”

“To Smallville Alex! Eliza wants me gone and he’s gonna take me.”

Alex actually looked surprised. Her hands fell limp by her sides. And she bounced, just once, on her toes.

“I’m not—“ She started towards the door. Came back. “I’m not gonna let them.”

“What?”

Alex was pacing suddenly. “No. No this is because of me. I’ve been an asshole and Mom is trying to take it out on you.”

“Alex—“

“I’m not gonna let her Kara. We’re family, and Mom’s gonna learn that means something.”

***

_The Now, a space station far from Earth_

Kara slammed into the alien so hard the impact created an explosion of debris. Alex thew up her hand to block the specks of dust and metal hurtling towards her. But then the green light was around her and the debris was bouncing away.

Kara, meanwhile, had catapulted down the hallway, the spear wielding alien in her grasp. Out of sight and far enough away that it was just Alex and the

GREEN LANTERN. THE LAST OF THE CORP.

Kara hated the Lanterns. J’onn did too. They were—

I KNOW OUR FAILURES BETTER THAN YOU, CHILD. EACH IS A SCAR ON A LANTERN’S HEART.

And this alien was going to have a few more scars if Alex didn’t get him to Kara’s ship.

IT IS NO USE.

She ignored the voice in her head, looping her arms under its, what she assumed were its, armpits. She could save this thing.

Then she’d get back. Save her sister. Find Myriad. Alex had _plans_.

MYRIAD. IS THAT WHAT IT IS CALLED?

She glanced down at the glowing alien wheezing in her arms. If the thing was thinking of Astra’s tech that could control humans, then yes, it was Myriad.

IT IS DESTROYED. ALL KNOWLEDGE THAT REMAINED HAS BEEN UPLOADED TO MY RING.

She glanced at the console in the center of the room. Was that why the alien had been there?

OF COURSE. ONCE I LEARNED WHAT THE KRYPTONIANS HAD DEVELOPED I MADE HASTE TO CONTAIN IT. RISKING BEING FOUND BY THE ACOLYTES OF APOKOLIPS. ACQUIRING IT BEFORE THEM.

One such acolyte, presumably, being the spear wielding alien.

WE FOUGHT. I HAVE WON. WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE NOW.

For emphasis it held up its closed fist, the ring prominent on its finger.

Only there was no “we”. Alex was gonna save this thing and then it could be an—it. And she could go back to worrying about other things. Like Kara or Maggie or the planet Ea—

I AM SORRY ALEX DANVERS, BUT THAT IS NOT TO BE.

She paused dragging him out of the room. Only he didn’t have mag boots or any kind of gravitational control and his body bumped listlessly into her.

MY RING LET ME TRAVEL THROUGH ALL OF SPACE. SEE WONDERS THAT HAVE MADE ME WEEP. IT HAS PROTECTED ME FROM HORRORS YOU WILL LEARN TO FATHOM. BUT THIS TIME, FOR ME, ESCAPE IS NOT POSSIBLE.

Alex disagreed.

MY WOUNDS ARE TOO SEVERE, CHILD. I WILL NOT SURVIVE THE HOUR. THE MO…ment.

Then what the hell was Alex supposed to do? She had alien blood all over her, and her sister was off in a fight that was starting to bring the station down and—

TAKE MY RING.

Suddenly green light furiously scrubbed the blood away from her suit. The alien twisted and floated before her, like Kara when she rejected gravity.

SECRET IT AWAY.

The ring, bright and green, flashed on the creature’s finger. She could take it. Maybe. Her hand drifted towards it. She and Winn would lose weeks in the lab analyzing it. J’onn and Kara would both be furious, but the ring might—

NO. NO ONE CAN KNOW YOU POSSESS IT. HE WILL COME AND ALL WHO KNOWS WHO HOLDS THE RING WILL BE DOOMED.

Alex pulled her hand back. This had…gotten a little too Tolkien for her taste.

PLEASE. you must

The entire station was shaking with Kara’s fight. Structures already weakened from Fort Rozz’s initial crash and relaunch into space were cracking like glass.

Alex needed to get out.

please

She had no idea what a healthy version of the alien looked like, but she knew, somehow, that it was looking very tired. The thing’s voice was now a whisper, almost too quiet to be heard over Kara’s periodic grunts on the comm.

It gripped Alex’s hand in its own, forcing her to hold onto the ring still on its finger.

Ichor oozed out of the mouth on its stomach, and the green glow it was wrapped in flickered.

help, alex danvers. save. the universe.

Its dark eyes no longer glistened. Dry like matte paint on a stage floor. It drew its hand back and the ring slipped off its finger, darkening in her hand to something less spectacular.

Immediately the glow that had surrounded the creature disappeared, and in the absence of whatever kind of atmosphere the green glow contained, the creature swelled up, eyes still on Alex. The thing that might have been a mouth formed a shape she told herself was a bittersweet smile.

Then the character broke apart, like fine ash struck by the wind.

Alex was left only with a ring.

A ring filled with all the knowledge of Myriad and so important that even knowing about it was a death sentence.

The station rumbled again. The magnets on her boots kept her in place, but she still staggered as the deck twisted under her feet. The ring slipped from her hand, floating through space, and for the tiniest of moments she wanted to let it.

Soon the station would tear apart and the ring would be lost in the rubble, spinning towards the sun until it burned up, and any dangers associated with it went up in flames too.

But that creature…he’d entrusted it to _Alex_.

She snatched it out of the vacuum and slipped it into the pocket just over her breast.

Then she followed the periodic vibrations of the fight. She had to find her sister and escape before they were as lost as this Green Lantern Corp.

***

Giant impervious spear alien was good. Kara dodged a swift jab, and darted in, dropping two punches that would have caved a human’s chest in. The giant impervious spear alien just grunted as it took three steps back.

Then it grimaced and tried to stab her again. Kara stayed in close enough that the reach of its spear was pointless. While the alien was larger, Kara had a suspicion she was faster and stronger, particularly when the fire in the creature’s eyes would darken briefly with anger. Like it knew it was outmatched too.

She had no idea why it had been about to skewer her sister, but she was determined to knock it out.

“Kara we have to go,” Alex said, speaking up for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

“Kind of busy.” The spear stabbed into her side, piercing her suit, but bouncing off her stomach.

“I know, you’re fighting a giant He-Man reject. In space.”

“It’s very cool.” She darted around the creature and put it into a Full Nelson. “Superman has never gotten to fight giant aliens in space.”

The creature slapped at her helmet. It cracked under the blows.

“I get that, but it’s kind of hard to interrogate it and find out why it was on Fort Rozz if you cut off the flow of blood to its brain.”

“We don’t even know if that’s what I’m doing! And where are you?”

Her sister was not in sight.

“On my way to you. And knowing you and how you tackle bigger enemies you’re trying a Full Nelson again.”

Maybe—The creature suddenly got a very good grip on Kara’s oxygen yanking her over its shoulder and throwing her through six (she counted) bulkheads.

Around her the space station screamed as it started to pull itself apart.

“What the heck just happened?”

Kara struggled up into a standing positions. Parts of her ached that hadn’t ached since—well since she and Clark fought their way through National City. “I got thrown through Fort Rozz.”

“That’s why I told you to cut it out with Full Nelsons. Always opens you up with a larger opponent.”

But it was cool.

The station continued to shift, and if Kara hadn't been floating a few inches above the deck she would have stumbled.

“Is it my imagination or is the space station disintegrating," Alex asked.

“No. You’re right.”

“We should go.”

Something bright white and small moved in the corner of her vision, she looked over to find Alex leaping over more twisted up metal, her suit still shockingly clean despite the situation.

Alex’s eyes widened comically at the sight of Kara. “Did you get stabbed?”

“Only a little.” The station shook with what she suspected was the guttural roar of the creature. “That thing isn’t wearing a space suit.”

“I noticed that right before you showed up. Is it—do you think it’s Kryptonian?”

It appeared before a chasm that was growing larger with every second. It paced and roared again.

“No,” Kara said. It couldn’t be Kryptonian. It was…something else. Much older. Far more dangerous.

Suddenly it stopped pacing, standing up tall and throwing all its muscles in sharp relief, then it pointed its spear at them.

Alex’s hand fidgeted on the handle of her gun. “Is it about to attack again?”

Kara took a single step towards it—stopping only when she felt Alex’s hand on her arm.

The thing snarled, its eyes flickering. Than it produced something terrifying from a pouch on its waist. It paused to grin malevolently at them before hitting the button.

The boom was so powerful Kara and Alex were both forced back.

A tunnel had formed from the box in the creature’s hand, and it saluted Kara and Alex with its spear before disappearing down it.

When the tunnel closed with another boom the station started to collapse in earnest.

Kara grabbed her sister up in her arms and pushed back towards the ship, ducking debris and bouncing off bulkheads like it hadn’t been thirty years since her last zero-g walk.

"What the hell was that," Alex asked. She sounded a little panicked, and Kara could feel her heart racing through both their suits.

"Still not sure about the alien, but that thing it was using was a Mother Box."

She grabbed ahold of her ship, tossing Alex into the cockpit and pushing the ship away from the station.

Alex immediately started her pre-flight check, efficient and crisp. "That sounds a lot more friendly than that explosion.”

"It's like a computer. Kind of. That explosion was creating a portal to another dimension.”

Alex stopped her button pushing. "Seriously?"

Kara nodded. “I think we just survived a fight with a God.”

Her sister looked impressed. “Can’t wait to brag about that one on Facebook.”

***

_Years ago, Krypton_

"Kara Zoe-El!"

Kara's teacher had a habit of sounding like she was furious even when she was just mildly exasperated. Her displeasure was rarely directed towards Kara. Kara was a gifted artist or scientist--"Whatever you put your mind to" her parents said after the first round of interviews with both guilds. Kara was the future of Krypton, and provided rare cause to bring frustration to those around her.

But Kara had looked up when the rest of the class had looked to her feet. She'd glared at the boy from another dimension and so terrified her teacher that she'd cried out.

For the very first time Kara was a "rebel.”

It was thrilling.

"Do they all look like that,” the boy's aging caregiver asked. She was a woman that seemed formed with the bold lines of a pen. All crags and contrast.

The boy, hulking and too large for his age, was much the same.

He scowled at Kara.

Kara scowled back.

The mother--grandmother?--reached for a long golden rod on her hip and Kara's teacher gasped.

On either side of her the other students quailed.

But then her Aunt Astra was standing in the room, looming over the very broad woman. Her hand, still gloved from coming in from the rain, was wrapped around the rod. Raindrops burned through the metal and filling the room with an acrid and familiar smell.

"You'd harm a child,” Astra sneered.

"You'd defend the whelp? It needs discipline. Granny will teach it.”

"Granny will leave.”

The woman's eyebrows were dark and bushy. She raised one.

Some of the acid rain on Astra’s cloak dripped onto the woman. She did not burn. But she stepped back, dropping her metal rod back onto her hip. She gave Astra one last long look before departing, her cloak swirling around her like a dark cloud. Her clothes sizzled in the rain, but her hair somehow stayed high and dry.

Kara shuddered.

Then gulped when her aunt stared down at her like she might have one of her soldiers. “Come Little One.”

She headed towards the corner of the room, and Kara followed, pausing only to glare again at the little boy “Granny” had left behind.

“You are starting fights,” Astra said.

“That boy and his grandmother are _mean_.”

Astra’s lips were pursed together. Her jaw clinched tight. Kara had seen that expression from her aunt and mother enough to know it meant they were “pensive.”

“They are here for a diplomatic meeting Kara. However they behave we must treat them as we would a Kryptonian. With kindness and intelligence.”

“But—”

“We cannot start a diplomatic incident.” Astra glanced at the boy, who was on the far side of the room towering over another child. There was just a little of that conspiratorial smile Kara adored. “No matter how much we’d like to.”

“You want to punch them too?” Kara knew her eyes were wide with shock. Her aunt was the bravest, strongest person she knew and she _never_ got mad—except at Kara’s mother.

Astra’s lip quirked up in a full crooked smile. “I have my feelings. But I keep them deep inside. As you must do Little One. We are their guides, and perhaps we can show them a better way. Yes? Make new allies?”

She lightly tapped the symbol on Kara’s chest. The mark of her house. Kara’s pressed her fingers to the symbol, mouthing the motto to herself.

Stronger together.

“Good,” her aunt said. “Now go. Show the child of Apokolips how kind the children of Krypton are.”

Kara nodded and ran back to the boy. He paused in his bullying to eye her warily, and she could have sworn the whole room held its breath.

Then she bowed, as gracefully as her father might have. “I am Kara Zor-El,” she said. “Of the House of El.”

The boy studied her. Sniffed. Then he nodded, curt and quick. “Orion.”

***

_The Now, National City, Cat Grant’s office_

Kara liked to share everything with Alex. When they were younger she’d compare the whole of her new home to the home she’d lost. They’d both pretend she was a refugee from another country instead of another world. She’d even tried teaching Alex Kryptonese before realizing humans couldn’t pronounce half the words. Instead she’d settled on teaching her sister how to read it.

Alex, for the most part, knew all of Kara’s most alien aspects. But Kara had never told her the story of the New Gods, or a peace brokered on Krypton. It wasn’t easy to explain in a way that made any sense.

Even J’onn had looked confused as she’d stumbled through her explanation of what she thought the spear wielder was.

Now, feeling more alien than ever, Kara was sitting in Cat Grant’s office, watching Cat do what suspiciously looked like bills.

“Carter’s going to bankrupt me if I don’t change the password on the Seamless account,” she muttered.

Kara looked away and pretended not to listen, even though they both knew she was.

Finally Cat sighed, dropping her pen and removing her glasses. “Kara, do you know why I called you in here?”

“No,” Kara ventured.

Cat peered at her like Lois always did. In that reporter way where they seemed to know all Kara’s secrets before she did. “Someone’s trying to poach you.”

Kara chuckled. “Ms. Grant that’s—“ Absolutely true. People had been attempting to poach Kara since she lasted a year as Cat’s assistant. Since becoming a reporter she’d mostly turned the offers into freelance jobs, her focus, and loyalty, with CatCo.

“It’s perfectly normal,” Cat said with a dismissive wave. “I know.” She stood up, tugging down the edges of her dress and coming around the desk to lean on its edge. “You’re almost a talented reporter and you have connections most publications would kill for. That’s fine.” She leaned down into Kara’s space. “What I’m curious about is who is doing the poaching.”

“Who?” Why did Kara’s voice squeak like that?

“Voice Media. Have they tried?”

Kara swallowed. “I—I might have seen a recruiter email in my inbox…” She’d seen multiple ones. And Morgan Edge himself had called and left her a message.

Cat sniffed. “Good.”

“Ms. Grant!”

She ignored Kara’s outburst and settled into the chair beside her. “You want to be an investigative journalist right?”

“Of course—“ It was one of the few things in her life that still made sense—and that didn’t leave her feeling depressed and alone.

“Voice Media was supposed to be bankrupt a year ago. Then it got sudden secret funding and now it’s throwing around money like that rotted squash in the White House.”

“You want me to—“ Kara swallowed again, her throat suddenly very dry. “You want me to go undercover, and find a secret donor, at a competing publication.”

Cat laughed, a little puff of air. “No, Kara. I want you to be extraordinary. I want you to take a step back from this—routine you’ve been in since your boyfriend left—”

“That was only a few days ago—”

“And I want you to explore more of what this city has to offer. You need to mix things up. So take the job, and the obscene amount of money they’ll offer. Build your resume.”

“And send anything I find to the CatCo SecureDrop.”

Cat shrugged. “What ever happens—whatever you decide to do, or not do, you know you’ll always have a job here. I’m giving you a safety net Kara. Now it’s time to jump.”

“But the ethics…”

She huffed. “You are the most ethical person I know. Backbone of steel.” Cat seemed to luxuriate in the word. “Whatever you decide to do, I trust you.”

“Why me?”

“Didn’t I just say? I trust you Kara, more than Snapper, James, or any of the rest.” Her voice grew softer as she spoke, and if Kara had been pressed to describe the tone she would have gone with "reverent."

“Oh," she said, just as softly.

The looks Cat always gave her, in these quiet moments, were always so confusing. Like she…cared about Kara. More than just as an employee or as a mentee. But as—it was like she looked up to Kara. Not Supergirl. But Kara Danvers from Midvale or Kara Zor-El from Argo City. Like Cat could see straight into Kara and she _liked_ what she saw.

She swallowed, suddenly bereft of words.

Across from her Cat physically shook herself, standing and tugging down her dress again. “Now take the rest of the day—“

“It’s almost six.“

Cat waved her off again, settling back into her chair and slipping her reading glasses onto her face. “Another company is trying to poach you Kara.” She was speaking loud enough that half the office could probably hear her. “You need to seriously consider it.”

“And if I don’t take it?”

Cat shrugged, returning to her bills. “Well, don’t expect a raise.”

***

Lena had rarely met someone who ate with as much gusto as Kara. It was one of those little quirks Lena found too endearing to mention out loud. It didn't matter if it was a salad (which Kara seemed to detest) or an entire pizza (which Kara seemed to adore). Kara attacked all foodstuffs like it had been prepared by Thomas Keller.

Her general zeal for food meant it was always immediately noticeable when she wasn't alright. Her fork wouldn't pierce a chunk of tofu quite as heartily, and there wouldn't be that brief moment of ecstasy on her face after biting into a fresh fry.

They were sitting at Lena's desk, two poke bowls between them, and Kara was eating at the same pace as Lena. So Lena was obliged to ask, "Everything okay?”

Kara sighed. Her face briefly screwed up on a transparent thought before she said, "I got a job offer.”

"That's wonderful!”

Kara groaned, dropping her head onto the desk with a thump.

"That's not okay,” Lena asked.

Forehead still pressed to lucite, Kara shook her head. "It's Voice Media.”

“Morgan Edge right? Didn't they just dox the head of the CIA’s Twitter?”

"Yes," Kara moaned. Flopping backwards in her seat, her arms useless at her sides and her neck long and too appealing in the orange light of the setting sun. "Which is kind of cool.”

Lena ignored base thoughts and forced herself to focus on the conversation. “They want you because of your Slaver's Moon piece?”

“Ostensibly yeah, but, I mean, clearly they want me because of my connections.”

“Cat Grant.”

"And Supergirl. And...” Kara's eyes flicked over Lena.

“Oh…they want you because of _me_?”

Kara looked…ashamed? "Yeah.”

"What--I've spoken to plenty of the press!" She’d had three different interviews that day.

"I guess I'm the only one that shows up at your office after hour with dinner.”

It had been the best sight in the world.

"I know someone from college at Vanity Fair now. Could always see if she's up for a glass of wine.” She swirled her lemonade in the glass. “Is it people knowing about our friendship that upsets you?” Please say no.

Kara looked appalled. "Of course not!” She reached across the table to grab Lena's hand. "I'm proud of our friendship,” she said with a squeeze.

Lena studied her, tried to read her best friend like the stack of white papers on her desk. "You worry they only want you for your connections.”

"I _know_ they only want me for my connections. And that's...I've gotten a long way because of who I know. I kind of want to be known for what I can do, you know?”

Lena knew that feeling acutely. Growing up in the shadow of an monolithic corporation, as close to silver spoon as the adopted daughter could be.

She crossed her legs and leaned forward, her thumb grazing over Kara’s hand. Neither of them tried to break the contact. “You're where you are because of Cat Grant right?”

"Exactly!”

"And how did you meet her? At a party? Through a family friend?”

Kara's perfect brow twisted in a frown. "At my interview.”

"And how did you get that interview?”

"I applied..."

"Anyone help?"

That soft look of wonder Kara would get always did sinfully wrong things to Lena.

She leaned away, putting as much space between them as she could without look crazy. Her hand immediately missed Kara’s warmth. “This isn't the world being handed to you Kara. This is just hard work paying off.”

"You really think I should take it?”

Lena shrugged. "What do you think you should do?”

Kara took a deep breath. The napkins on the desk fluttered. "I think I want it. But I also think—Voice Media was nearly bankrupt last year.” She fidgeted with her glasses, almost taking them off before apparently thinking better of it. “Now it’s got money and buzz. It feels too good to be true.” Her shoulders rose and fell with a shrug and her voice grew quieter. “And after the last few months I don’t think I can handle getting the rug yanked out from under me again.”

Something hard and cold curled up inside of Lena. Rhea had screwed them all over with her plans. Giving Lena a glimpse of acceptance and snatching it away—and doing the same with Kara’s whole _life_.

“I know the feeling.”

Kara’s smile was soft—if wracked with melancholia that made Lena ache. “I guess we’ve both had it rough.”

“But I was the one who brought her army here wasn’t I? So desperate for a little maternal affection I ignored every warning sign.”

Kara didn’t even question the sudden shift into Rhea territory. “Lena, it’s okay to be optimistic.”

She laughed, and it was shockingly watery. She’d nearly started to cry and she hadn’t even realized it. “I know. Every time I think you’re going to hate me you show up at my office with dinner and a good conversation.”

Kara just smiled, a little abashed.

“But you can’t tell me to be optimistic when you’re too terrified to take what sounds like an amazing job.”

“It’s—”

Lena tilted her head, waiting for Kara to try and talk herself out of it. But she just ducked down, smiling again. “It is a good opportunity isn’t it?”

“A spectacular one from where I’m sitting. That place pays Fusion-level salaries.”

“Fusion imploded.”

“So what’s the worse that can happen. You make great money, and then when Voice Media goes up in flames again you give Cat Grant a call. You can’t tell me she wouldn’t hire you back in a heart beat.”

“Wha—”

Lena just stared. While they never discussed Cat Grant, Lena had dealt with her at enough women-in-business-and-business-suits luncheons to know the woman absolutely worshipped Kara and was just a little jealous that Lena was her best friend instead of her.

Kara blushed. “She said as much when she told me to take the job today.”

Lena groaned. “So take it! You’ve earned it Kara, and don’t we, after everything—don’t we all deserve something good in our lives.”

An eyebrow arched over the frames of Kara’s glasses. “What do you get?”

There was way too much naked worship in the words that slipped out of Lena’s mouth next. Adoration her mother always called “a school girl crush” and her brother, before he turned evil, told her was more a part of herself than she would ever allow. But she couldn’t help it. She had a good meal and her best friend and even if it wasn’t her life about to change because of an incredible opportunity she could still be excited.

So she smiled and hoped every emotion wasn’t as naked on her face as it was in her heart. 

“I’ve got you.”

***

She didn't say a word. The secrets were filling her like air in a balloon and the ring was burning a hole in her pocket and Alex said nothing.

When they were back in Earth and Kara had pulled off her helmet to shake out some righteously bad helmet hair she squinted at Alex. "You okay?”

She was having some kind of tell tale heart situation. "I survived my first spacewalk.”

"Awesome right?”

Kara could be such a goober.

She smiled and Kara laughed. For a very brief moment Alex forgot the ring.

J’onn marched directly up to them, his scowl a little more worried than usual. “What happened out there?”

“New God,” Kara said, like the crazy name was totally normal and she was filing a report about penguins with Snapper.

Alex and J’onn both shared a look and a raised eyebrow.

“Afraid I’m not familiar,” J’onn said.

“Aliens from another dimension. Basically indestructible?”

“From your Earth 1,” Alex asked.

Kara shook her head. “No. Somewhere…else. They came to Krypton when I was a child. Some kind of diplomatic mission.”

“And now they’re here.” J’onn sounded a little thoughtful, and a lot displeased.

“Apparently, but they shouldn’t be. Earth was one of the planets specifically declared neutral during the discussion. Someone from from either faction steps foot on Earth by choice and the New Gods are at war again.”

Kara had that weird distant look she got whenever she was trying to remember some crucial little bit of information from her childhood. Like the knowledge that she was the last Kryptonian with any memory of her planet suddenly weighed heavier than usual.

Alex wasn’t gonna let her wallow. She crossed her arms. “You a big fan of thirty year old intergalactic diplomatic agreements?”

Kara sighed. “It was my aunt—Lara. She was the leader of the Kryptonian delegation. She talked about it constantly.”

Clark’s mom.

“So we don’t have to worry about them on Earth,” J’onn declared. “What about the station? Think the creature will be back?”

“Not without a very big ship,” Alex said. “The place was totaled when Kara and I left.”

“And Myriad? That’s presumably why it was there.”

“It’s gone too,” Alex said. “No way they can salvage anything from the scrap we left behind.”

“It was a lot of scrap,” Kara added.

J’onn nodded, but continued studying Alex, his eyes narrow and focused. “And the Lantern. Either of you see it?”

Kara shook her head. “No sign of it. If it was on the station that New God must have killed it before we got there.”

J’onn was still staring at Alex. “No,” she said, keeping the word forefront in her mind and slotting away any other stray thoughts.

Any kind of interrogation J’onn might have suddenly put upon them ended when Kara saw the time and realized she was late for a meeting with her old boss. “Cat is gonna kill me,” she said, half hopping out of her space suit and dashing across the hanger. “I’ll call you about Sisters’ Night later!”

“Cat Grant is back,” J’onn asked, watching Kara flee.

“Permanently apparently. She was living in a yurt.”

“I spent a decade in a yurt in the 1800s. Ate a lot of cheese.”

Alex had…no response to that.

After she changed out of her space suit, shoving the ring deep into her front pocket without even looking at it, Alex returned to carrying on her day. It was a weird sensation. That morning she’d been in _space_ and then she was filling out paperwork and checking on her experiments like she did most other days.

But keeping busy kept her mind off the ring, useful in case J’onn suddenly decided to listen in.

And it kept her mind off Maggie.

And maybe it did too good a job. Because when the day was over Alex took the elevator downstairs, stepped out in the crisp summer night air, and immediately reached for her phone, dialing Maggie like she did every night she walked home from the office.

The ring, while not changing temperature, seemed to feel  _heavier_ in her pocket. As if it was going to pull her pants to the ground at any moment. She jammed her hand down into her pocket and fondled the ring, spinning loosely on her fingertip without pulling it out.

She kind of wanted to put it on.

“Hello,” Maggie answered, confusion suffusing the greeting.

Alex stopped spinning the ring.

She stopped all together. People started bumping into her as she took up precious sidewalk space.

“Hey,” she said, her voice sounding soft and pained in her own ears.

"Alex.” Maggie sounded pained too, but what Alex couldn't figure out was what kind of pain was it? The pitying kind, or the kind currently rippling through every part of Alex. Like the misery was crawling its way out of her, scraping across the raw edges of every nerve in her body on the way.

Her finger rested softly in the ring. They were supposed to be the tools of the brave and willful according to what she'd started to read. Maybe some of that would rub off.

"Sorry for calling--habit.”

God, Maggie's dry chuckle. A huff of amusement that always made Alex warm with rewarded pleasure. "It's fine. I...I know the feeling.”

“I just...I went to space, and I saw stuff--insane stuff and...” She deflated. "I miss you. I forgot about it all day. And now the day’s over and my first inclination was to call you and tell you.”

“Alex...”

“Did you miss me?” She asked before wisdom could stop her.

The night before Maggie had told her it was too much. That Alex had only proposed because she didn't know better. That she was still high on being happy to be out and that it never worked--it wasn't supposed to. Not that first relationship after coming out.

“You need time to explore,” Maggie had said, echoing words spoken after their very first, disastrous, kiss.

But all the talk of what Alex had needed, and there'd been no talk of what Maggie wanted. No discussion of _her_ needs.

She'd been the one who came to Alex, who started this. She'd been the one who confessed to wanting to have years of firsts with Alex and a dog name Gertrude.

Alex needed to know if, even after pushing Alex away, Maggie loved her.

“Maggie?”

She heard the shaky inhalation. It shouldn’t have made Alex smile. Maggie was hurting and the proof was in that rattling breath. But it was still proof. Excruciating proof that Maggie still cared.

“You went to space huh? What...” a sniffle. "What was that like?”

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I have like three or four unfinished Supergirl fics. I’ve cherry picked my favorite potential plots from The Death of Supergirl and I Can Do This and mashed them into this story. One Deadline Too Many will likely see a conclusion in the next few weeks.


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